Advertising or display apparatus



Oct. 27, 1931. J. SHANNON 1,8299459 ADVERTISING OR DISPLAY APPARATUSFiled- Apm 17, 195o Patented @et 27, 1931 UNrrEo STATES PATENT OFFICEJOHN SHANNON, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO POSTERMATIC LIMITED,OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND ADVERTISING OR DISPLAY APPARATUS Application ledApril 17, 1930, Serial No. 445,118, and in Great Britain April 20, 1929.

This invention comprisescertain improvements in or relating toadvertising or display apparatus of the kind comprising a cabinet havingpreferably a transparent panel in its front, behind which, according tothe size of the cabinet, a number of flexible advertising or displaysheets or supports are secured, with one end of each sheet secured to anan- 'chor roller which is rotatably mounted near the top of the cabinet,while the other ends of said sheets are each secured to sheet rollersupon which they are adapted to be automatically and alternately woundand unwound. These rollers with their sheets wound or partly woundthereon, are stored in the rear part of the cabinet loosely restingpreferably by means of spacing discs, one on top of another, by havingtheir spigot ends inserted into and guided in the substantially verticalrear portions of endless channels of elongated O- shape which arearranged in or near the two side walls of the cabinet. The rollers arewound by toothed wheels thereon engaging stationary racks, the rollersbeing lifted such as by a hook or an endless chain or band.

This invention has for its object to provide improved means of feedingthe sheet roller at the bottoni of the guide groove into position forbeing lifted and into engagement with the toothed rack, and also forensuring that the roller as it passes over the top of the guide groovewill not be permitted to tilt to cause a amming action in the guidegrooves. f

According to the present improvements, means are provided for positivelymoving the toothed wheel on the sheet roller into engagement with thestationary rack, preparatory to the roller being raised by the endlessband or chain. The means for positively moving the sheet roller ashereinafter describd comprises a cam or push-er device which pushes theroller along a flat lower portion of the guide groove. The roller beforemoving into engagement with the rack passes under a pressure grippingdevice. The cam aforementioned is arranged to also receive the sheetroller immediately above the roller to be pushed forward to therebyallow such upper roller, and the additional rollers resting thereon, togradually drop without jamming. Vhen the sheet roller is passed over thetop of the guide groove it is received by a lowering device to ensurethat the roller will not jam. This lowering device convenientlycomprises reciprocating arms.

To ensure that the toothed Wheel will always engage the teeth in therack the bottom portion of the rack is pivotally mounted and pressedforward under spring control.

Referring to the drawings Figure 1 is a cross-sectional elevation of thedisplay mechanism constructed according to this invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of an anchor roller constructed according tothis invention.

Figure 3 is an end'portion of Figure 2, showing the sheet fixing stripsin position.

Figure 4 'is an end view of Figure 3,

Figure 5 is a front elevation of a sheet roller, and

Figure 6 is a section on line azof Figure 5.

The sheet rollers 1 6 have their ends mounted in guide grooves 7 of theframework 7a of the machine, and the front roller, for instance, afterhaving displayed the sheet carried thereby the required length of timeis raised by means of a hook 33 on the endless band 8, and whilst beingraised the display sheet is wound thereon. The roller 1 then passes tothe position occupied by the roller 6 and the roller 2 is moved forwardfor displaying the sheet carried thereby. According to the presentimprovements, each roller is successively pressed forward intoengagement with the toothed rack 9 by means of a cam 10 mounted on thesuitably driven rotating shaft 11, the sheet rollers being spaced apartby the discs 13. The cam 10 is adapted to press the sheet roller 2forwards through the intermediary of the roller 3. In the position shownthe roller l is carried up the guide groove 7 and the roller 2 movedforward by the pressure of the roller 3. The cam 10 bears on the axleportion 12 of the roller. The roller occupying the position shown by theroller 2 is held in this position by means of the spring gripping clamphead 14, and the succeeding roller for instance is adapted to pass underthe clamp before the roller 2 leaves the clamp. The clamp 14 has aspindlek 15 slidably mounted in the block 16, and the grippingA pressureis obtained' by means of the springs 17 which bear against the head 14and ad] ustable pins 18 screwed into the block 16. In

order to ensure thatthe toothed wheels 1a..

on a Ysheet roller will always mesh with the 'teeth on` the rack 9, thevlower end9a of such rack is pivotally mounted and is pressed forward bymeans of the spring 1 9.i` When therefore the toothed wheel 1a is movedforward, if'the tipA of'oneof the teethmoves against the tip of a toothon the rack, such vrack will4 be pressed back until the teeth intermesh.By the luse of the clamp 14 the first roller such as 1, is free to beraised whilst the next roller 2 will be prevented from moving untilVactuated by the cam'lO. f The camV 10 is also so shaped that the lrollerin the position of roller 4 gradually rides vdown the cam,and thereforeensures that the piled up rollers 'will be gradually lowered andmaintained in a parallel position' to thereby prevent any liability of ajamming action.l

'-1 When aroller is raised to the'top of the groove 7 it leaves thechain 8 and is free to run into the back portion of the groove. Toprevent the roller tilting during this movement, afloweringV device,comprising pivoted ar1ns20, is provided, TheseY arms are timed numherofcollars 27 are provided andY these to receive the roller, and 'as thearms are pivoted backwardly the roller' is gradually lowered withouttilting. The Varms 2O are conveniently litted with a helical spring 34in a notch at the part where the rollers bear thereon.y The arms 20(arev reciprocated on the spindle 21 by means of theconnecting link 22and the-pivoted lever 23. The lever 23 is actuated by means of the cam24, mounted on the spindle 11, the lever 23 being maintained inrcontactwith the cam by Vmeans of the spring plunger device'25` Y The displaysheets are iixed to the sheet carrier" or anchor roller 26 so that theycan be readily removed or. fitted and so 'that the displaysheets'betwee'n the iixedends are of the required length For thispurpose a collars have V-shaped grooves laround the periphery.V 'Thedisplay sheety is folded over 'two faces of the fixing strips27a whichare wedged into the grooves, thereby clamping `the top of the display orlike sheet in posii tion. The Vends Aof the nstrips 27a are held in'position by means of a split ring 28 which engages grooves 29. Thesplit ringhas va spacevbetwe'en the ends which'enables any one ofthestrips 27a to bepassed therethrough, thereby lenabling the display sheetto be. replaced with great rapidity. The

`spring 'band 30 is also engagedv around the strips 27a. "The spindle 31of the sheet roll- 1. An advertising or display apparatus comprising aplurality of display sheets, a rotatably mounted anchor roller to whichone end of eachdisplay sheet is fixed, display rollers to which theotherendof each display sheet is fixed a frame'having guide grooves in whichthe adjustable rollers travel,

-a rack, toothed wheels on the display rollers which engage the rack towind the `sheets thereon, means for positively and successively movingthe toothed wheels on the display rollers into engagement with thetoothed rack before ytheV rollers are' engaged by the lifting means,and' means for lifting the rollers after the toothed wheels thereon have'been engaged with the said rack.

'L 2. An advertising ordisplay apparatus comprising a plurality ofdisplay sheets, a rotatably mounted anchor roller to which one vend ofeach display sheet is iixed, display rollers to which the other end ofeachdisplay sheet is fixed, a frame-having guide Ygrooves in Vwhich theadjustable rollers travel, a rack, toothed wheels on the display rollerswhich engage the rack to wind the sheets thereon, meansforpositively'and successively moving the toothed wheels on the displayrollers: into 'engagement with the toothed rack preparatory to therollers being raised whilst in engagement with the rack, comprising acam which pressesthedisplay roller along the lower portions of the guidegrooves, a chain and a hook on the chain for lifting the rollers whilstin engagelnent with the rack.

3. An advertising ordisplay apparatus comprising' a plurality of displaysheets, a

rotatably mountedY anchor roller to which one endof each display-sheetis fixed, dis- 4.play rollers to which the other endof each displaysheet is iixed, a frame having guide grooves in which the adjustablerollers travel, a rack, toothed wheels on the display rollers whichengage the rack to .wind the sheets thereommeans for positively andsuccessively moving the' toothed wheels on the; display rollers intoengagement with the toothed rack preparatory to the roller being raisedwhilst in engagement with the raclncomprising a cam which presses thedisplay rollers along the lower portions of the guide grooves, and apressure gripping device under which the rollers pass when being pushedforward by the cam, a chain and a hook on the chain for lifting therollers whilst in engagement with the rack.

4. An advertising or display apparatus comprising a plurality of displaysheets, a rotatably mounted anchor roller to which one end of eachdisplay sheet is lixed, display rollers to which the other end of eachdisplay sheet is fixed, a frame having guide grooves in which theadjustable rollers travel, a rack, toothed wheels on the display rollerswhich engage the rack to wind the sheets thereon, the lower end of whichis adapted to pivot forwardly under spring pressure, means forpositively and successively moving the toothed wheels on the displayrollers into engagement with the toothed rack preparatory to the rollersbeing raised whilst in engagement with the rack, a chain and a hook onthe chain for lifting the rollers whilst in engagement with the rack.

5. An advertising or display appara-tus comprising a plurality ofdisplay sheet-s, a rotatably mounted anchor roller to which one end ofeach display sheetis iixed, display rollers to which the other end ofeach display sheet is iixed, a frame having guide grooves in which theadjustable rollers travel, a rack, toothed wheels on the display rollerswhich engage the rack to wind the sheets thereon, means for positivelyand successively moving the toothed wheels on the display rollers intoengagement with the toothed rack preparatory to the rollers being raisedwhilst in engagement with the rack, comprising a cam which presses thedisplay roller along the lower portion of the guide groove, and which isadapted to gradually lower the heaped up rollers at the rear of thedisplay devicea chain and a hook on the chain for lifting the rollerswhilst in engagement with the rack.

6. An advertising or display apparatus comprising a plurality of displaysheets, a rotatably mounted anchor roller to which one end of eachdisplay sheet is iixed, display rollers to which the other end of eachdisplay sheet is fixed, a frame having guide grooves in which theadjustable rollers travel, a rack, toothed wheels on the display rollerswhich engage the rack to wind the sheets thereon, means for positivelyand successively moving the toothed wheels on the display rollers intoengagement with the toothed rack preparatory to the roller being raisedwhilst in engagement with the rack, a chain and a hook on the chain forlifting the rollers whilst in engagement with the rack, and a loweringdevice for receiving and lowering each roller as it passes over the topof the guide grooves.

7. An. advertising or display apparatus comprising a plurality ofdisplay sheets, a rotatably mounted anchor roller to which one end ofeach display sheet is fixed, display rollers to which the other end ofeach display sheet is fixed, a frame having guide grooves in which theadjustable rollers travel, a rack, toothed wheels on the display rollerswhich engage the rack to wind the sheets thereon, and means lforpositively and successively moving the toothed wheels preparatory to theroller being raised whilst in engagement with the rack, a chain and ahook on the chain for lifting the rollers whilst in engagement with therack, and a lowering device comprising oscillating arms for receivingand lowering each roller as it passes over the top of the guide grooves.

8. An advertising or display apparatus comprising a plurality of displaysheets, a rotatably mounted anchor roller having grooved collarsthereon, fixing strips adapted to fit in the groove to fix one end ofeach display sheet, display rollers to which the other end of eachdisplay sheet is fixed, the rollers having toothed wheels, a framehaving guide grooves in which the rollers travel, a rack with which thetoothed wheels on the rollers engage to wind the sheets thereon, meansfor positively and successively moving the toothed wheels on the displayrollers into engagement with the toothed rack preparatory to the rollerbeing raised whilst in engagement with the rack, a chain and a hook onthe chain for lifting the rollers whilst they are in engagement with therack.

ln witness whereof l have signed this speciiication at Birmingham,England, this 19th day of March, 1930.

JOHN SHANNON.

